The first trailer for the Sundance hit Ain’t Them Bodies Saints has been released online. The film centers on a young outlaw couple played by Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck who are apprehended by the law and must deal with the consequences of their actions, Affleck’s character escapes prison years later and sets out to find his lover and daughter in 1970s Texas Hill Country. Writer/director David Lowery’s debut feature drew positive reviews and comparisons to the work of Terrence Malick at Sundance, and after watching this trailer it’s not hard to see why. Not only is his visual style eloquent and poetic, but the story almost feels like a spin on Malick’s Badlands. The trailer promises a slew of fine performances and a nuanced, character-centric story, and I’m eager to catch the full film when it hits theaters.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer, and click here to read Matt’s positive review from Sundance. The film also stars Ben Foster and Keith Carradine. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints opens on August 16th.

Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), an impassioned young outlaw couple on an extended crime spree, are finally apprehended by lawmen after a shootout in the Texas hills. Although Ruth wounds a local officer, Bob takes the blame. But four years later, Bob escapes from prison and sets out to find Ruth and their daughter, born during his incarceration. Set against the backdrop of 1970’s Texas Hill Country, director David Lowery paints a poetic picture, evoking the mythology of westerns and saturating the dramatic space with an aching sense of loss. Featuring powerful performances by Affleck, Mara as well as Ben Foster and Keith Carradine, AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS is a story of love, motherhood, and searching for peace while faced with an unrelenting past.

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